eHosting DataFort achieves BCM certification

eHosting DataFort, a fully owned subsidiary of TECOM Investments, has achieved the BS25999-2:2007 certification, becoming the first managed IT service provider in the UAE to receive the British standard for Business Continuity Management (BCM).

The certification was awarded by DNV (Det Norske Veritas), an independent organisation that is engaged in the business of risk management for over 140 years and is one of the leading global providers of accredited certification, classification, verification, and training.

The world’s first British standard developed to help minimise the risk of business disruptions, the BS 25999 certification recognises an organisation’s appropriate level of awareness, strategies, systems, plans and knowledge in order to cope with disasters and threatening situations.

To achieve the certification, eHDF went through a detailed pre-assessment of its internal business processes and functions. As a part of this preparation, a series of workshops were conducted which included creating an awareness on business continuity, incorporating internal organisational changes, and getting buy-in and approvals from top management. More importantly, all this was done keeping in mind that customers’ services continued uninterrupted throughout the pre-certification process. DNV conducted a pre-assessment prior to final certification to ensure preparations were in line with the standard requirements.

Yasser Zeineldin, CEO at eHosting DataFort said: “As the first recipient of this very specialised certification in the UAE, eHDF now offers a unique advantage to its customers. This is mainly due to the increasing relevance of ‘business continuity’  and the growing need among organisations to be compliant with international standards that ensure their continued resilience even under critical situations.

“As a service provider, a certification such as this plays a key role for the sense of confidence that it creates amongst clients and stakeholders, assuring them of uninterrupted business operations even under the most disruptive circumstances.”

Currently, the Business Continuity Management certification is applicable to shared IT services offered to eHDF customers as well as for internal departments. This certification will make a positive impact on customers as eHDF already offers other services related to Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity including Disaster Recovery Sites, Disaster Recovery Solutions, Disaster Recovery Seats and BCM Consulting.